Contrary to what many companies, farmers, and our government will tell you, soy is NOT a superfood. In fact, I would argue that soy is completely unnecessary and should be avoided most of the time. Here are a few reasons why:

1. You all know that estrogen is the primary female sex hormone. What you probably don't know is that soy contains phytoestrogens (i.e. isoflavones) which are estrogen look-a-likes. These imposters are weaker than the real thing though and like to bond themselves to sex-hormone binding proteins in the blood as well as to estrogen receptor sites. This frees up the stronger, naturally produced estrogen in our bodies to take part in stronger estrogen actions in our body such as breast cancer.
2. The same isoflavones that we were just talking about are also known to inhibit certain thyroid functions in our bodies, specifically thyroid peroxidase (the production of T3 and T4). These isoflavones may even be the cause of hypothyroidism to begin with.
3. Soy products don't just mess with our hormones though. You see, soybeans are also quite high in phytic acid which is a substance that can block the uptake of essential minerals (i.e. calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc) in the intestinal tract. The phytic acid level in soybeans is actually one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume that has been studied! Add to that the fact that the phytates found in soybeans are highly resistant to normal phytate-reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking and you have quite a dilemma on your hands. The only way to significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans is a long period of fermentation. Some examples of fermented soy products are: miso, shoyu, tempeh, and natto.

A few additional facts on soy:

• Average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.
• An infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least 5 birth control pills per day!
• Megadoses of phytoestrogens in soy formula have been implicated in the current trend toward increasingly premature sexual development in girls and delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.
• Soy consumption can drastically reduce a man's libido!

With that being said, I don't see any need to include soy in your diet. Soy does not provide you with any nutrients that you couldn't get somewhere else. I would also like to point out that you may not consume soy directly by itself, but if you eat a lot of processed foods, you are most definitely consuming soy with every meal. Read all ingredient lists for a while and you may be surprised to find how prevalent soy truly is.

Ditch the soy! Your hormones will thank you.

Rump Roast and Veggies in the Crock-Pot

• Grass-Fed Rump Roast (957g)
• Organic Red Onion (255g)
• Organic Carrots (323g)
• Organic Celery (147g)
• Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Broth (4 cups)
• Martinis Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil (4 tbsp)
• Shredded Green Cabbage (140g)
• Trader Joe's California Garlic Powder
• Trader Joe's Steak & Chop Grill & Broil Seasoning

Start by slicing the onion, carrots, and celery. Put about half of this combo in the crock-pot and place the roast on top. Season with the garlic powder and steak seasoning. I used garlic powder because I was too lazy to peel and dice the real thing. Now add the vegetable broth and the olive oil. Cover and cook on low for about 8 or 9 hours. Before serving, mix the cabbage in.

The crock-pot is awesome because you spend less than 10 minutes preparing a whole lot of food and when you arrive home from a long day, you are greeted by a deliciously smelling meal. Plus, there is only one dish to have to wash later. If you don't already have a crock-pot, I suggest you go out and invest about $60 in one of these fine culinary specimens. The meal possibilities are endless.

A few of you have asked me for book suggestions. I highly recommend reading Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival by T.S. Wiley. This is a great book to start with as it provides an overview of how our body works hormonally without being overly technical.

I own a copy of this book and have considered making my entire library available to our members. I think I will create a sign-out sheet and hang it at the Fort. Keep an eye open for this.

In the mean time, here is a link to the book at Amazon: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival

Steak and Veggies

• Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin Filets (333g)
• Asparagus (92g)
• Onions (56g)
• Mushrooms (46g)
• Grass-Fed Ghee (26g)

I preheated the grill and began prepping the veggies. The asparagus was steamed for about 4 minutes while the onions and mushrooms were sauteed in the ghee for about 8 minutes. The filets took about 7 minutes on the grill and still had a fighting chance before being consumed

Green Curry Chicken

• Trader Joe's Organic, Boneless, Skinless, Free Range Chicken Breast Tenders (2.26#)
• Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk (28 oz.)
• Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste (4 TBSP)
• Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce (2 TBSP)
• Trader Joe's Organic, Low Sodium Chicken Broth (2/3C)
• Trader Joe's Organic Baby Spinach (272g)
• Orange and Yellow Bell Peppers (280g)
• Fresh Basil

Heat the coconut milk and curry paste in a large pan over medium heat until a liquid is formed. While doing this, cut the chicken into bite size chunks and slice the peppers. Add the remaining ingredients. We like to add the fish sauce and chicken broth, then the spinach and bell peppers, and finally the chicken. We do this just so that it is easier to get everything in the pan and ensure it gets nice and mixed. Once everything is in the pan, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with some fresh basil and enjoy! Feel free to eat this over some spaghetti squash too!

Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

• Grass-Finished Ground Beef (925g)
• Grass-Finished Beef Tallow (20g)
• Red Onion (150g)
• Trader Joe's Sliced White Mushrooms (130g)
• Trader Joe's Italian Tomato Starter Sauce (1 box)
• Muir Glen Organic Diced Tomatoes - No Salt Added (2/3 of a can)
• Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Paste (1 can)
• Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Black Pepper
• Spaghetti Squash (1 medium sized squash)

This is our take on the traditional Spaghetti. We use spaghetti squash as our substitution for traditional noodles and make our own sauce out of fresh veggies and organic tomato sauces. Just like yesterday's breakfast, this was an easy meal that we put together in under 20 minutes after a late night at the Fort.

First, we browned the ground beef in the tallow. Once that was almost done, we added the diced red onion and mushrooms. We let the onions and mushrooms cook down a little and then we added all of the different tomato sauces. This wasn't some sort of magic combination. We simply didn't have enough of any single sauce so we had to combine what we had on hand. We let everything cook together just long enough to warm-up the sauce and then we added the seasoning before bringing to the table.

While all of this was going on, the spaghetti squash was cooking in the microwave. To do this, cut the spaghetti squash length wise and scoop out the guts. Place half of the spaghetti squash face down in a dish with about 1 inch of water. Cook on high in the microwave for about 9 minutes. After cooking, remove spaghetti squash from the microwave and allow to cool so that you can handle it. Finally, take a fork and scoop out the insides. It should come out like traditional spaghetti noodles.

I figured it might be helpful for everyone to see some of the staples that we include in our daily eating. All of the animal products we consume are "grass-finished" and in the case of fish, they are "wild" as opposed to "farm raised".

Fat

• Coconut Milk (not the lite variety)
• Coconut Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ghee
• Lard
• Nuts and Nut Butters (anything other than peanuts because they are legumes, not nuts)
• Red Palm Oil

Protein

• Beef
• Chicken (with the flavorful skin)
• Eggs (with the yolk)
• Fish
• Lamb
• Pork (including uncured sausages and bacon)
• Turkey

Carbs

• Fruit
• Sweet Potatoes
• Vegetables (spinach, broccoli, and chard are favorites)

Be sure to notice that the list doesn't include any grains (whole or otherwise), oatmeal, rice, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), soy, or protein shakes.